When I woke up the next morning my head was still throbbing. I used a healing spell to get rid of the cut but there wasn't really anything I could do about the egg size lump on my forehead. Luckily my hair is long enough to cover most of it. I look around the room as I climb out of bed and notice that Remus has already left for breakfast. He probably was up all night with the insomnia he usually gets around the full moon. This month it falls on Friday and Saturday, so I only have to wait one more day before I can truly be Padfoot for longer than five minutes.
Remus was really against us becoming Animagi, but I don't understand why. We keep him company and nurse him back to health every time he changes. Last year we even protected him from a hippogriff that went mad in the Forbidden Forest. We all know Remus wants to be able to take care of himself, and we let him have his pride, but it's not easy for a guy's best mates to watch him go through hell and not try to help. I shake my thoughts away as I pull on the rest of my robes and head down the stairs.
As I pass by the couch I notice blonde hair spilling over a pillow and automatically change direction, heading for the couch. I thought about my treatment of the blonde girl for hours yesterday and, decided that no matter how difficult it is for me to do, I will apologize to her. I approach the couch slowly so I don't startle the sleeping girl and lightly tap her shoulder. She comes awake with a jolt, withdrawing her wand as she does so.
It took me half a second to realize that this was not the same girl I talked to yesterday. I should have realized earlier; her hair was much too yellow, not at all the corn silk hair I was expecting to find, and this girl was much too tan to be Blondie. I apologize and quickly make my exit without a single glance back.
Today during Potions, she is sitting as far away from the Slytherins as she can manage without cramming herself into the wall. She is sitting two desks in front of me and James, working with Marlene. I can tell from the constant giggles of Marlene that the two are having a good time.
I want to hear Blondie laugh. Hell, I want to know Blondie's name.
I take the opportunity of James collecting Potions ingredients to scribble down a quick note to her.
Hi. Sorry I was an ass yesterday. Can we start over? Hi my name is Sirius. What is yours?
I folded it and threw it at her table quickly before James could get here and read it. He is just getting back from collecting ingredients. James is a mess when it comes to Potions and we made an agreement in our first year that if he read the directions out to me and got the ingredients then I would handle the potion itself. It's worked out pretty well with us. James did average in his O.W.L and I did outstanding.
"Alright mate it's in your hands now. Just don't get anything on me and you get to keep those pretty locks on your head." James says in a half mocking half suspenseful tone. He did cut my hair once in third year. I'm just glad madam Pomfrey could fix it, it was a disaster.
I look forward to see if she's gotten the note yet. She looks back and meets my eyes for a split second. I'll take that as a "No, we will not start over asshole" and turn back to my potion.
I make my way to the library after Defense. We didn't really do anything, but Professor Collins says the school requires the Defense class to spend a certain amount of time on safety in the class room which is hogwash since we have been here for six years and have never had an accident. I need to study though. Charms were never my strongpoint in school and I have to spend more time studying charms than everything else combined.
I am careful to watch where I walk as I approach the library. As I step inside I smell books. Yes, as weird as it sounds, books have a smell and I happen to enjoy that smell. I look around for one of the big cushiony chairs and spot one in a back corner. When I get there I find the accompanying chair is already occupied by no other than Blondie. The real Blondie this time. She looks up as I take the chair diagonally to her.
"Don't worry I won't bother you," I say trying to sound as dry as possible. Evidently it works and she turns back to her novel for a moment before closing it and leaning forward.
"You know it's funny when people assume things when you don't reply to them immediately," she says in an irritated tone pulling my note from her pocket "and then they treat you like shit when you finally do." She sat back reopening her book like what she said was something I was used to.
The thing is, I'm not used to being spoken to like that by anyone. No students, teachers, friends, or even my own parents have ever said anything so brutally honest about my behavior. Sure there may have been whispers behind my back but I've never had someone take a shot at me like that to my face.
"Shit, I'm sorry. For yesterday and today. That's all I wanted to tell you." I stand and begin walking away to find a different chair.
"Its Mary," she says suddenly, not looking up from her book. "My name is Mary McQuillen."
I stop in my tracks at her saying this. Somehow, to me, her telling me her name seemed monumental. I turn around and find her giving me a small smile which I return immediately.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Mary." I say softly as I turn to exit the library.
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